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Laws of Arcane Theory
The laws of arcane (magic) theory are a complex set of quasi-scientific principles that govern the use of magic. Here's a list of some of the ones we've created -- characters with a high Magic Theory skill can quote these at will. __FORCETOC__ The Arcane Law of Complexity :"The more complex a working is, the more likely it is to fail; a wise mage works within the parameters he deems necessary, and neither more nor less than that. '' :Every Sphere added to an effect increases the difficulty of casting; there is a +1 modifier to difficulty for using more than one Sphere of magic at once. .. The Arcane Law of Contradiction :"When a mage's Arts press against the laws of what is accepted as real by Humanity, reality itself will press back upon him with force equal to how strongly his workings violate that accepted reality." '' :Simply put, this law explains Paradox, and how it works. .. The Arcane Law of Harmony :"Mage and Avatar walk side-by-side. If a working stands as a conflict between the two, it becomes difficult or impossible to work Arts." :In other words, working directly against your Avatar's nature or purpose is ill-advised at best. This is what gives the 'Mage in conflict with Avatar' modifier for magic. .. The Arcane Law of Magical Conservation :"Magic cannot be destroyed; it can only be reformed, or catalyzed down to its raw essence, or absorbed by substances that allow such things." :The amount of magic in the world is not something that can be measured, but magic doesn't disappear. ''Any magic one works will create or reform an equal amount of magic in some other way. Anything created with magic will be created from raw shards of magic in the universe, or from one object or entity into another, or shaped from raw magic itself. .. The Arcane Law of Opposition :"A mage working against her nature, or that of her Avatar, will always find her Arts less effective or more difficult to weave. Working with magical energies contrary to her own nature will make any working more difficult, and possibly also injure her."'' :The flip side of the Law of Sympathy, the Law of Opposition states that the further your workings are from your nature, the less likely they are to work, and the more likely they are to fail. The rule about using quint with opposed Resonance making magic more difficult arises from this law. .. The Arcane Law of Reciprocity :"That which acts can in turn be acted upon. To use the Arts against another grants that other a means to use his Arts against you in turn. All magic with a target can be used as a reciprocal targeting mechanism." :In other words? If you nuke someone from orbit and he doesn't end up dead, he can target you back from your casting. This explains the popularity of Sancta, which make targeting harder by +1 difficulty per point of Sanctum rating. .. The Arcane Law of Resonance :"All magic has a flavor, a scent, a feel. When a mage works his Arts, they take on some of his nature, and that becomes the sense of the effect worked." :Resonance tinged every magical working. By this law, a mage changes the very fabric of magic itself when she works any effect, simply by imposing her own nature upon that effect and result. .. The Arcane Law of Sagacity :"A mage will find the effects most familiar to him are easier to work within the Arts; shaping raw magic is always more difficult than relying on a known pattern. :This law describes the reasons behind using Rotes as opposed to doing on-the-fly fast-casting, and why rotes grant a -1 difficulty. .. The Arcane Law of Self-Perception :"A mage can always recognize the handiwork of his own Arts, no matter where it is. It is always easiest for a mage to find something inmued with his own Resonance. All effects, all enchantments, from his hands, are things he will recognize immediately, as like calls to like even in magic." :A mage can use something imbued with his own Resonance to make something easier to find or track, or to identify, if he chooses. This law also applies to Tass or Quintessence infused with your Pattern's Resonance. .. The Arcane Law of Sympathy :"The Arts will always work more effectively when one possesses knowledge of the magical Resonance of the target, or, better still, a sample of that Resonance." :This law describes the 'Sympathetic Magic' modifier on the Mage casting charts. If you possess a shirt worn by a person upon whom you wish to work magic, for example, you will find it easier to do if you incorporate the shirt into your workings. Note that this also applies to Tass or Quintessence infused with your target's Resonance. .. The Arcane Law of Universality :''"The broader the effect, the stronger the reflected power from reality will be. It is wise to limit one's workings to the needed outcome only." '' :The broader an effect is, the more Paradox it will garner, and in many cases, the harder it will be to cast (requiring more successes and extended rituals as opposed to a simple casting). .. Category:Mage Category:House Rules Category:Advanced Mage